


And I Can't Seem to Not Put My Foot In It

by howthemoonsuitsthenightsky



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Bash is a tease, Dinner Party, F/M, Fluff and Angst, when will these idiots admit that they like each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:04:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howthemoonsuitsthenightsky/pseuds/howthemoonsuitsthenightsky
Summary: In which Gilbert puts his foot in it, Minnie-May puts her foot in it and Bash never grows tired of Gilbert not understanding what's right in front of him.





	And I Can't Seem to Not Put My Foot In It

Gilbert made sure to hold onto the cuff links he had borrowed from Mr Cuthbert after the County Fair. Putting them through the holes in his cuffs, he smoothly pulled down the sleeves until they were resting just right on his shoulders. Though he had wanted to make a good impression on Winifred’s parents, Mr and Mrs Barry were at a much higher level. He was just grateful that their venture had worked out and that his and Bash’s apples had indeed found a holding on the British market. 

Behind him there was a sharp knock at the door. Gilbert could see in the mirror that it was Bash and crossed his left leg over his right, slowly turning around and raising his arms to show off his hard work. “Well Blythe, I’m surprised that mirror hasn’t broken yet with the amount of time you’ve spent looking in it.” The man crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe and let the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile. “First Anne, then Winifred, are you planning on trying to impress Diana tonight to complete the set?”

Gilbert felt a blush rise in his cheeks, painting them a colour he would rather no one saw. “It’s … it’s not like that, Bash.” 

“I know, I know.” He unfolded his arms and pushed off the frame, striding away to walk down the stairs. “It’s just funny to watch you squirm.” 

Gilbert shook his head as he moved to pick up his waistcoat from the back of his chair. Threading his arms in as he heard Bash walk down the stairs, he took one last look in the mirror as he did up the buttons. Deeming himself acceptable, he strode down the stairs after Bash, ready to give him what for back as he imagined he might have done if he had been lucky enough to have any siblings. 

“You’re one to talk of me chasing women,” he countered as he sauntered down the stairs, “as if it’s something-” His words cut off as he reached the bottom step and saw who was standing in his hallway. Anne’s cheeks had more colour in them that they would have from the short walk over to the farm, leading Gilbert to the conclusion that he had heard exactly what he had just said. Her hands were clasped together in front of her skirt, her coat already hanging behind her. Though he would never have told her, he preferred this look to her in a dress, it seemed more natural, more her. Their stances at that moment, however, were anything but natural. “Anne, I…”

Gilbert didn’t quite know how to finish the sentence and he had never been more grateful to see Marilla walking through his front door. “Well, Anne,” she said, capturing the redhead’s attention and letting her turn her focus away from him, “it may be summer, but I would like enough room to be able to get in off the porch.” 

With one final glance in Gilbert’s direction, her cheeks moving further away from her hair in colour, Anne hurried into the parlour towards where Gilbert could hear Delphine playing with her toys. Allowing his brow to scrunch for a second at how much he had just managed to put his foot in it, Gilbert let out a sigh, before switching his charm on and thanking Marilla for looking after Delphine for the evening. 

***

Being seated around the Barry’s table always made Gilbert feel slightly inferior. Their tablecloth was always pristine white, with silverware that seemed to sparkle in the candle light and a ceiling so high above them that even with Bash on his shoulders, they would not be able to reach it. The food was also so delicious that he struggled to maintain his etiquette, though it looked like Diana’s younger sister had already given up on that task. 

“How are the preparations for the Queen’s entrance exams coming along?” The question came from Mr Barry, who had somehow finished his meal before the rest of them were halfway done.

Gilbert promptly swallowed his own food so he could answer. “Well, I think. It’s a lot of hard work and the exam will be difficult, but Miss Stacey is preparing us well.”

“I’m glad to hear it. And your other classmates? Do you think they will make it in?” He glanced over at Diana, only to see her staring down at her plate, her fork hovering over thin air and her hair hiding her expression from him. 

“I believe most of them will.” He knew that it would have fitted the conversation best to bring up Anne, seeing that he knew that she would get in, but seeing Diana’s demeanour, he thought it best not to. “Have you finalised the date for Diana to go off to finishing school?”

At his question, Diana abruptly put her fork down, causing a small clatter which her parents promptly ignored. Gilbert internally cursed himself for another poor choice. “Yes, it’s just under four months away now,” Mrs Barry answered, her face beaming at Gilbert. “I know that it will be a big change and that friends will be missed, but it really is the best experience a girl could dream of.”

“Friends like the one who likes Gilbert?” The young girl opposite Gilbert seemed to be aiming the question at her sister, as if no one else was at the table with them.

“Minnie May!” Mrs Barry’s voice cut harshly across the table though the young girl was seated next to her.

“What, mother? She talked about it in front of me, all about Gilbert and his nice chin and that he was like Mr Darcy and how she loved dancing with him.” Diana had finally looked up from her plate and was staring in shock at her younger sister, who was continuing so earnestly that her blonde hair had started bouncing in time with her chin. Meanwhile, Gilbert’s face had lit up a fiery red as it he had been sitting next to a fire for hours and Bash had to raise a napkin over his mouth to hide his growing smile. “If she didn’t want people to know, why would she talk about it?”

“Some conversations are private, Minnie May!” Diana’s voice was surprisingly high-pitched. Her face turned to Gilbert’s, pale white in contrast to his bright red. If they had been sitting next to each other, he was sure she would have gripped his wrist in a vice tight enough to leave a mark.

“Yes, Minnie May,” Mrs Barry continued, “I’m sure Anne wouldn’t appreciate something she told Diana in secrecy coming out at dinner with the person whom it was about present.” She dabbed her napkin to her mouth and quickly excused herself and her youngest daughter. 

With them gone, Gilbert could let his mind catch up with what had been said in the last few minutes. To him, it seemed that Anne had talked to Diana about him, specifically about his chin, and Mr Darcy had somehow come into the conversation. It didn’t seem to make complete sense, but from Diana’s reaction, he could only come to one conclusion.

“Women, eh.” Mr Barry’s comment snapped Gilbert out of his trance. He turned to the man next to him with a small smile, though the tightness in his cheeks told him it was forced. 

***  
A ride home with Sebastian was usually a pleasant thing for Gilbert, but tonight he knew that that wouldn’t be the case. With Diana having excused herself before he had had the chance to ask her about what Anne had said, he was still no clearer on the picture, or what picture was right to paint of the situation, but he knew that Bash would have his own opinion on the whole affair. 

“Well, well, it seems you’ve ended up with a woman on each arm, Blythe.” Bash’s chuckles filled the cool night air around them. 

“I’m not sure I would put it that way.” Gilbert adjusted his cap on his head even though he knew it wasn’t out of place, before bringing his hands together on his lap and squeezing them together before releasing them.

“Really? So, Miss Rose comes all the way from Charlottetown with her parents to see you and she’s not interested? And Anne says to her best friend that you have a nice chin and that you’re like Mr Darcy and that dancing with you is like a dream-”

“She did not say that!” Gilbert’s protest was overshadowed by Bash’s words.

“- and there’s no way that she likes you either?” Bash turned towards his friend and raised his eyebrows, earning him a small punch in the arm from Gilbert.

“Bash, it’s not like that. And Minnie May didn’t even say who it was, Mrs Barry just assumed that it was Anne! For all we know, it could be Ruby who told Diana that, and I’ve told her many, many times that I’m not interested in her like that.” Gilbert found himself out of breath with the rate that the excuses were falling from between his lips. 

“Uh-huh, cause we all know that Anne would never be dreaming after her own Mr Darcy.” Gilbert was thankful for the growing darkness as it was hiding his seemingly never-ending blush. Instead of letting his mind wander to Anne, as it seemed to want to do so desperately, he thought of his father’s copy of Pride and Prejudice and how he would need to read it again, though it was most definitely not because of Anne’s comparison of his to Mr Darcy, most definitely not.

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw a tweet about Minnie-May spilling what Anne said to Diana and couldn't help but write it out. If only it were something that would actually happen ...


End file.
